Bible Encyclopedias
Garlic

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

gar´lik ( שׁוּם , shūm , used only in plural שׁוּמים , shūmı̄m ; compare Arabic thûm ): One of the delights of Egypt for which the Israelites in the Wilderness longed ( Numbers 11:5 ); we know from other sources that, though originally a product of Central Asia, garlic was known to the ancient Egyptians. It is the bulb of Allium sativum , Natural Order Liliaceae , and is cultivated all over the Orient. It is eaten cooked in stews; its disagreeable penetrating odor is in evidence in the houses and on the breath of most Orientals. A bulb of garlic, hung over a bed or over the door of a house, is a powerful charm against the evil eye and other malign influences.

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. Entry for 'Garlic'. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. https://www.studylight.org/​encyclopedias/​eng/​isb/​g/garlic.html. 1915.